Preston North End spreading the goals around as 10 players get in on the act

Preston North End have put on a great spread in terms of finding the net in the opening month of the season.
Daniel Johnson scores for Preston from the penalty spot against Swansea City in AugustDaniel Johnson scores for Preston from the penalty spot against Swansea City in August
Daniel Johnson scores for Preston from the penalty spot against Swansea City in August

After eight games in league and cup, 10 PNE players have scored the club’s 17 goals.

Daniel Johnson had led the way with four goals – three of them penalties – all of them in the Championship.

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He is well on the way to bettering his tally of seven for the whole of last season.

Harrop found the net against HullHarrop found the net against Hull
Harrop found the net against Hull

Midfielder Josh Harrop has netted three goals, one in the league and two in the League Cup.

The fact he has only started three games and come off the bench once, makes for impressive statistics.

Harrop’s first goal came just moments after stepping on to the pitch as a substitute at Bradford.

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The ex-Manchester United man then netted in the victory over Stoke, before scoring in last Tuesday night’s cup clash with Hull.

Harrop is just back from a long absence after surgery to repair a ruptured cruciate ligament – as is Billy Bodin.

On Saturday at Nottingham Forest, Bodin found the net for the second time this term.

That followed on from him scoring against Stoke.

Tom Barkhuizen has two goals to his name, with both coming at Bradford in the League Cup win.

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Louis Moult, Joe Rafferty, Sean Maguire, Paul Gallagher, Paul Huntington and Andre Green have scored one apiece.

Rafferty’s goal, the opener in the 3-2 defeat at Swansea, was his first in PNE colours.

For Huntington, his header against Hull came in only his appearance to date this term.

The fact that North End have only failed to score in one game – the season’s first at Millwall – is some feat when you bear in mind the shortage of available strikers.

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Moult is set to miss much of the season after damaging his cruciate ligament in the Swansea game.

David Nugent has yet to kick a ball competitively due to a calf injury he picked up in a bounce match.

That game came as Nugent strived for match fitness after a summer knee operation.

Sean Maguire missed the Forest game after damaging his eye in freak circumstances in training last week.

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The Irishman was absent too from the win over Stoke with concussion.

For the 1-1 draw at Forest, it left Jayden Stockley as the only out-and-out striker.

However, North End boss Alex Neil chose to start Bodin up front – something he did to good effect – Stockley coming on in the second half.